Lydia Tillman, right, embraces her close friend, Mike Marzano, Sunday at a benefit to raise money to pay her medical bills. In early July, Travis Eugene Forbes allegedly assaulted Tillman and set her apartment on fire. Tillman jumped two stories, suffering brain damage and a stroke. She now uses an iPad speech-assistance program to help her communicate, as she is re-learning to speak.
(
Madeline Novey
)

In fact, those close to the constantly smiling 30-year-old have benefited from her lifelong optimism following a tragedy that shook her friends, family and community.

"She's the one who encourages everybody else," said Lydia's father, Willy Tillman, Sunday afternoon at a benefit held in her honor at McC Ranch in Masonville.

Lydia stood behind him, reading the label on a wine bottle and chatting with those nearby. It was the first time in more than two months she had seen most of the people at the event.

In early July, Travis Eugene Forbes allegedly assaulted Lydia and then set fire to her second-story Fort Collins apartment. To escape the inferno, she leapt out the window and fell to the ground.

Forbes, 31, is now being held without bond at the Larimer County Detention Center. He is charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated motor vehicle theft, arson, assault and sexual assault.

For 34 days after these events, Lydia lay in a hospital bed in the intensive care unit.

She was on life support. Her family didn't know if she would live or die.

"I had to look beyond what I was seeing with my human eyes," said her mother, Janet Messerli. "I couldn't desert her. I had to comfort her."

Things began to improve when she was moved to a new ward for treatment of her brain damage and stroke.

Messerli told her daughter she was being transferred, but got little response. But upon arrival in her new room, Lydia sat up, threw her legs over the sides of the bed and hoisted herself up on her arms. Nurses nearby helped her balance on her feet on the floor for a few seconds.

"It's just been progress every single day since," Messerli said, smiling.

Lydia's path to recovery is long and demanding, marked by surgeries and intensive rehabilitation.

One of her greatest challenges will be learning to speak again, said her sister, Esther Hartsky. Progress is slow, but Lydia is determined and used the words "nice!" and "thank you" emphatically in conversations Sunday.

When at a loss for words, she pulled a black iPad from her bag, typed in what she wanted to say and let a speech-assistance program do the talking.

"I missed you," the machine read for Lydia as she talked with her close friend and fellow bluegrass music fan Mike Marzano.

"I missed you too," the Lyons man said, taking her into a big hug.

Want to help?

Go online to naturalwineco.com and click on the "News/Events" link. There you can make a donation to help pay for Lydia Tillman's medical bills and more.

People can also follow Lydia's story and send the family messages on the Facebook page "Friends of Lydia."

Sunday's was just one of several benefits friends, family, businesses and organizations have hosted to raise money to pay Lydia's medical bills and start her life again, Messerli said. And it will not be the last, Hartsky said.

Lisa Adams didn't know Lydia personally but heard her story on the news and donated to the cause. She attended Sunday's event with Jeannie Meyer, a friend of Lydia's sister.

Having buried her 18-year-old son, Adams knows what could have been and is inspired by this story's positive outcome.